Norfolk Southern and CMA CGM launch Midwest–West Coast intermodal service

Norfolk Southern and CMA CGM have launched a new intermodal offering linking the Midwest to the U.S. West Coast — positioned as a service designed to “look and feel like a truck move,” while accelerating modal shift from long-haul highway freight to rail.

According to a Norfolk Southern spokesperson, the service is managed by Triple Crown Services, the railroad’s door-to-door unit. It uses 40-foot high-cube containers and an end-to-end operating model meant to reduce complexity for shippers and brokers.

The concept leverages CMA CGM container capacity, with Triple Crown providing execution and accountability across the full journey. CMA CGM’s 40-foot ocean containers are used throughout: moving inland by rail and then returning loaded to port — a loop structure aimed at maximizing container utilization.

The goal is to make CMA CGM capacity available on existing Norfolk Southern lanes and make the decision to shift freight from truck to rail easier for long-haul moves.

In its first phase, the service covers:
• Cleveland and Detroit → Los Angeles
• Columbus, Ohio → Seattle

Norfolk Southern emphasized that Triple Crown can customize and flex capabilities for a range of customers seeking a more streamlined way to reach markets.

Available capacity is posted on Norfolk Southern’s Modal-X platform — the railroad’s web-based transactional pricing tool for door-to-door services across the North American rail network.

The launch fits into a broader push to optimize intermodal network utilization. Norfolk Southern also collaborated with BNSF Railway in 2025 to redesign an inland point intermodal service between the Northwest Seaport Alliance and Chicago.

Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern remains engaged in a planned merger with Union Pacific that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. The plan was delayed after the Surface Transportation Board rejected the application in January. Union Pacific CEO and Director Jim Vena said the filing is set to be resubmitted in April.

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